Cruel Yet Beautiful
by xHouse-Of-Blackx
Summary: A collection of ficlets, drabbles and missing moments featuring Rivetra, ErenMika and a number of other characters. Accepting prompts!
1. Shattered

_Yep, its official. This fandom is taking over my life. Well! I am going to post a series of drabble-type chapters featuring various characters from Attack on Titan although some will be more heavily featured than others. I am accepting prompts and ideas at the moment so feel free to PM me!_

 _And obviously, I don't own anything._

* * *

 **1\. Shattered**

Heart still pounding from the adrenaline rush of the chase, Levi somehow manages to maneuver himself into a graceful landing on top the tree branch, placing a hand against the thick trunk to steady himself. What he sees below him makes his body go numb.

Her back is arched at an impossible angle and her once warm, amber eyes are cold as they stare up at him sightlessly. He can almost _feel_ the texture of her silken tresses between his fingers as he watches a strand of her shiny, golden-red hair blow over her face from a slight gust of wind.

Petra always hated it when her hair used to fall against her face. That was one of the reasons she kept it cropped short apart from the fact that long hair were impractical as they caused interference while training and engaging in battle against titans. She always used to brush any stray strands off with an annoyed little huff, which used to amuse Levi to no end.

She isn't doing that now. Oh, the things he'd do to hear that irritated huff again...

All of their hushed promises to one another in the soothing darkness of Levi's room and dreams of venturing into the outside world wiped out in a matter of seconds. He stares down at her for a few more seconds with hollow grey eyes, committing the memory to his mind so he could torture himself with it later, punishing himself for not being able to protect her before he moves on, leaving the shattered fragments of his heart behind with the girl lying lifeless and broken against the tree.

* * *

 _Reviews are most welcome!_


	2. The Red Scarf

**2\. The Red Scarf**

* * *

Mikasa deems herself to be a fairly organized person. Her habits match her stoic and well contained mannerisms. She prefers to do things on time and does not care much for procrastination. But right now, none of that applies to her. Her room is in a severe state of disarray. Spare sets of uniforms and boots are littered all over the floor and Mikasa's mattress is is turned over with one of the pillows lying haphazardly on the floor. She is in the process of turning her modest closet upside down, wondering how on earth she could have misplaced her scarf- _Eren's scarf_ \- when someone nudges the door open.

"Ackerman."

Immediately, she drops her belongings and stands up straight, thumping her right fist to her chest. "Captain."

"At ease. Why does you room resemble a pig pen?" Levi asks, eyeing the room with a look of utter contempt on his face.

Mikasa bites back a scathing response and simply chooses to glare at Captain Levi. _Nosy midget._

She has never been as forgiving as Eren and still holds a grudge against her superior for how he had beaten Eren half to death in front of the entire court.

"Don't tell me you lost your tongue along with whatever else it is you're looking for?" He prods her with an eyebrow raised in a mocking fashion, which only managed to infuriate her further.

"It does not concern you, Captain." She replies tonelessly, keeping her face stoic and emotionless as usual.

"Here," Captain Levi snorts as he holds out her red scarf to her. Mikasa's eyes widen as she rushes forward to snatch it from his grasp. "Where-?" she trails off, instantly relaxing as soon as her fingers touch the soft wool. Eren had given her this scarf six years ago and she had not parted with it since.

"You dropped it earlier while training." Levi drawls, flashing Mikasa an all too knowing look. "Oh and Ackerman?" He speaks up once more while withdrawing from her room.

"Yes?"

"Clean this filth immediately."


	3. Lost

**3\. Lost**

* * *

Jean misses Marco more than he ever lets on. He avoids the whole topic altogether most of the times but whenever one of his squad members brings him up, he freezes. All he can see is the half rotten corpse of the person he once considered to be his closest friend and confidant, and undoubtedly, the kindest person he ever had the honour of knowing.

This world was a cruel and unforgiving place and it could have used more people like Marco.

Since Marco's death, no one talked him around when he was going through his bouts of rage.

No one assured him of his good qualities when he was having doubts about himself.

And lastly, no one smiled at him earnestly, simply happy to be in his company.

Yes, the world needs more people like Marco but god, he needs him more.


	4. The Dog Star

**4\. The Dog Star**

* * *

Eren was lying back on the porch of the Scouting Legion headquarters, staring up at the night sky. It was a perfect night for star gazing as not a single cloud was in sight for miles. He traced the shape of the various constellations he could see with his fingers, trying very hard to remember their names.

"Mikasa?" He spoke up after a while.

"Mmm?" Mikasa hummed in response from her place beside him.

"Remember how dad used to-" Eren gulped as a lump formed in his throat at the thought of his father. "Used to-"

"I know." Mikasa whispered simply, curling her knees up to her chest.

Grisha Jaegar had been a highly intelligent man. Apart from being the best known and most qualified doctor in the district of Shiganshina, he was also a surplus source for all kinds of information. He always had an answer to any of Eren's queries. Well, _almost_ any. No one knew where the titans came from or why they had a taste for human flesh.

Also, his father used to be an avid star gazer.

" _See that star, Eren, Mikasa? That's supposed to be the brightest star in the sky."_ He had pointed out to them once, when the walls had been intact and there had been plenty of food to fill their stomachs. When friends and family members hadn't been devoured alive in front of their loved ones and the streets had not been crawling with humongous, flesh eating monsters. It all seemed like a hundred years ago.

"I can't remember its name." Eren mumbled, his eyes fixed on a bright, twinkling star.

"Sirius." Mikasa pitched in. "It's called Sirius, I think. The brightest star in the sky."

"Yeah." Eren responded, a bit irked by Mikasa's memory. _How the hell is she so good at every single thing?!_

"Eren, you should go inside now. You shouldn't be out of bed for so lo-"

"I don't want to just yet." Eren bit back, crossing his arms across his chest defiantly.

"But Eren, Hanji said-"

"I don't care! Stop babying me around, Mikasa, god!"

Mikasa flinched back at his loud voice. "E-Eren…"

"Just how many times will I have to tell you that I am not your baby brother? When will you get it through that thick skull of yours, huh?" He snapped, his dark brows furrowing together.

"Look at you two, sounding married and all." Levi's voice floated from behind them, interrupting his rant.

"Captain!" Eren made as if to get up but Levi stopped him with a lazy flick of his wrist. He was leaning against the doorway, appearing as if he had been standing there for ages.

"I-I didn't see you, sir…" Eren trailed off sheepishly while Mikasa remained still and impassive beside him.

"I knew you were retarded but a blind retard?" Levi stepped forward and plopped down between Eren and Mikasa, making them flinch at the sudden movement. "Maybe I should gouge those out." Much to Eren's terror, a dagger appeared out of nowhere in Levi's hand and stopped just inches short of his right eye. "The new pair you will regenerate might help you see better."

"What is _wrong_ with you?" Mikasa hissed at Levi.

"Mikasa, shut up!" Eren bellowed. "Why do you have to-"

"Ackerman, you can go. I'll handle this brat."

For a moment, it seemed like she would disobey but seeing Eren's murderous glare, she changed her mind and stood up to go inside but not before shooting Levi a look of pure, unadulterated contempt.

 _Join the hate club, Ackerman._

Levi and Eren were silent for a while. Levi didn't mind. In fact, the silence suited him better. It was better than hearing the stupid kid yammer on about nonsensical shit. He doubted that Hanji would be pleased if she found her latest test subject all mauled up in the morning.

"You know," Levi began after a while. "You can treat Mikasa nicely once in a-what the-" Levi glanced sideways as Eren's head landed on his shoulder. "Jaeger?"

There was no response. For a moment, Levi thought Eren had fainted and was about to call for help when he heard a soft snore. He sat there very still for a few seconds, unable to believe what was happening. Eren fucking Jaeger was asleep with his head on his goddamn shoulder, probably slobbering all over his jacket. Gross.

Yet, strangely, Levi did not wake him up. In fact, he stayed still for a long long time, simply listening to Eren's soft snores as the night went on.


	5. Day and Night

**5\. Day and Night**

* * *

Levi sighed and rubbed his temples as he watched Eren and Mikasa bicker near the stables. Well,as usual mostly Eren yelled while Mikasa stayed silent except for an occasional plea for understanding, which Eren ignored. _These kids will end up giving me a fucking migraine._

Levi couldn't understand what she saw in that dumb, uncultured brat. He would be washing Eren's mouth with the strongest soap available if it were up to him.

 _I just might sometime._

After a few minutes of steady arguing, Mikasa looked away from Eren and her gaze landed on Levi. For a moment, he was taken aback by the sadness simmering in her dark eyes. However, it was gone the very next moment and was replaced by a smooth, impenetrable mask which Mikasa usually wore.

Something about her gaze triggered a memory for Levi. He found himself thinking about Isabel and Farlan after all these years. To his horror, he began comparing Isabel and Farlan to Mikasa and Eren.

 _They are nothing alike,_ Levi thought scathingly, trying very hard to divert his thought process. _Eren is a dumb little shit, nothing like Farlan._

 _And Mikasa…_

If Isabel was day, then Mikasa was night. There weren't two people who could be more different. Then why did her eyes remind him so much of the girl he had once considered to be his little sister?


	6. Doubts

_A little 3 am Hanji/Armin bro-bonding!_

* * *

 **6\. Doubts**

* * *

Armin had never been the popular kid among his peers. For as long as he could remember, he had been a victim to teasing, name calling and many times, bullying. Both verbal and physical. Sometimes, when Armin lay in his bed, he hated himself. He hated himself for being so weak, for being such a burden to everyone.

Especially to Eren and Mikasa.

Mikasa was the strongest and most gifted soldier Armin had ever seen. She could cut down fifty titans and still not break a sweat. And Eren…

Armin shuddered.

There was a fire inside of Eren. His anger drove him to perform tasks well beyond someone his age should be able to manage. Through sheer willpower and determination, Eren could accomplish things even a fully grown adult would have a hard time doing.

Both of them had always been there for him whenever he had needed their help, chasing away his bullies while he cowered against the was he compared to these brutal forces of nature?

 _I hate holding you back. I hate being so weak, so pathetic. So useless._

"Armin? Armin!"

"W-what?" Armin was jolted out of his thoughts by Hanji Zoe's face, which was uncomfortably close to his own. "H-Hanji? What are you doing here? How did you...?" He spluttered as he tried to sit up in his bed without bumping his nose against hers.

"Oh, I picked the lock. That's not important, though!" She added hastily as Armin looked traumatized.

"I-Is everything okay? Eren? Mikasa?" He started panicking.

"Armin! Relax." Hanji plopped down on his bed. "Oh, it's softer and squishier than mine! This is so unfair." She wailed, bouncing on his bed.

"…"

"Right." She snapped her goggled into place. "I need your help, Armin."

"My help? At three in the morning? With that?"

Hanji mistook Armin's incessant questioning for enthusiasm and dived into the meat of the matter, her face flushing red with excitement. "I had drawn some blood samples from Eren the other day and I came to some interesting findings. I need someone to back my opinion hence I came to you!"

"M-Me? Why me?" Armin asked her meekly, patting down his blonde hair to regain some semblance to decency.

"Huh? Armin! You are the smartest person I know! If anyone will get it, it's you."

"You really believe so…?"

"I do." Hanji stressed, "Now, let's not waste any more of our precious time…"

"Oof!" Armin barely had time to right his balance as Hanji practically dragged him off his bed.

A small, tentative smile curled his lips upwards as he listened to Hanji blabber about titans with one ear as he followed her through the torch lit corridors. _Maybe I am not so useless after all._


	7. Losing Your Memory

_Here is the slight angst I promised...(LevixPetra)_

* * *

 **7\. Losing Your Memory**

* * *

Levi flat out refused when Erwin suggested that he would order some subordinate to clear out the rooms of Levi's Special Operations Squad and sort through their belongings to send them back to their respective family members and friends.

"I'll do it." Levi stated tonelessly, his eyes fixed on a spot just over Erwin's shoulder.

"But Levi-" The commander began, his thick brows furrowing together. He halted when he saw Levi's expression and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Alright, as you wish. I am truly sorry for your loss."

Levi couldn't help but snort, "What a typical thing to say."

"I am sorry about _her_." Erwin emphasized.

Levi closed his eyes for a moment before shrugging Erwin's hand away. "Don't be. Petra Ral was a member of the scouting legion and she was handpicked by me to serve as an essential part of the Special Operations Squad. She knew what was at stake and she had chosen to fight to preserve humanity. Think before you say it was my loss because it wasn't. It was a loss for _humanity_."

 _And it's my fault that I bloody well could not protect her._

Without another word, he whirled around and walked away. He saved her room for the end, going through Erd, Auruo and Gunter's belongings first and stacking them up neatly in separate boxes to send them back to their families. When he could not find a reason to stall any longer, he opened the door to her room, bracing himself as her faint scent washed over him.

It clung to her bed sheets, to the curtains. To the very walls of the room.

He found the key to her closet under her mattress. It contained spare sets of her uniform along with other clothes. Levi's eyes were drawn to a particular dress which she had worn to a ball inside wall Sina once. She had looked radiant that evening, even more so than usual.

A small box at the bottom of the closet contained letters she had received from her friends and family. Levi knew Petra has been well liked among her peers and was not surprised to see that she had many friends. Letter after letter contained mentions of his name.

 _I have decided to devote myself to him..._

 _Captain Levi is my inspiration…_

 _Levi can come across as unapproachable sometimes but I know him. I feel like I truly know him…_

Another neat stack of letters was from father. He could not find the courage to open them and read them however, especially after his last encounter with Petra's father.

' _I was thinking it was probably too early for me to insist she get married, you know…she is still too young and has her whole life ahead of her.'_

Levi closed the box and slumped against the closet, remaining that way for the majority of the night, inhaling her scent which was bound to fade away soon and committing it to his memory. Even if it was pointless.

A day would come when he would not be able to recall her face with perfect clarity. When the lines would blur together to form a hazy image at best. When the sound of her ringing laughter would fade away. When her sheets would go cold and her scent would leave them.

A day would come when Levi would forget what it was to love her.


	8. You Can't Hear My Heart Beat

**8\. You Can't Hear My Heart Beat**

* * *

Eren turned around just in time to see Mikasa fall. Her gear had been acting a bit rusty during training and Sasha had insisted that she get it changed for a spare one but Mikasa had waved her away, too focused on her training to care.

"Mikasa!" Eren yelled and his shout was echoed four other times by Connie, Sasha, Jean and Armin.

Mikasa's gear had jammed up in mid flight and she hadn't been able to shoot her grapple hooks into the next tree. Unable to swerve in time, she had crashed hard against a branch with a sickening thud,crumpling towards the ground at alarming speed. Determined to halt her fall, Eren shot downwards at maddening speed, arm outstretched to catch hold of Mikasa's arm. Time seemed to slow down as Eren's brows furrowed together in concentration. The forest was a green blur around him. Mikasa's eyes were closed as the wind whipped her short, black hair around her face.

 _Come on!_ Eren growled internally the tips of his fingers brushed against Mikasa's limp arm. _Almost there…_

However, before he could even blink, a shape blurred past him at lightening speed, catching Mikasa and breaking her fall. Eren landed hard on the ground and bent his knees to absorb the impact, glancing around wildly to gain an insight as to what had happened.

"Too slow, Jaeger."

"Huh?!" Eren glanced up and saw that on a tree branch right above him, Mikasa's unconscious form was cradled safely in Captain Levi's arms. He hopped down from the branch and landed beside Eren while the rest of the squad joined them.

"Is she okay?" Armin whispered, his bright blue eyes swimming with concern.

"Mikasa? Mikasa!" Jean patted her face buts he didn't open her eyes.

"Move aside, horse face!" Eren roughly shoved Jean out of his way to get to Mikasa, ignoring the look Connie and Sasha exchanged.

"Brats, calm down!" Levi's sharp, authoritative voice cut through the commotion, silencing them all. "She's knocked out cold due to the blow on her head from the crash. Quit yammering like a bunch of piglets." He turned to Eren, beckoning him forward with a tilt of head. "Jaeger,"

"Sir!"

To his surprise, Levi deposited Mikasa into his arms as soon as he stepped forward. His knees buckled under the unexpected weight for a moment, earning a snicker from Jean. He tightened his grip around Mikasa's unconscious form and steadied himself quickly, his turquoise eyes wide from surprise.

"Be a good brother or whatever the fuck you are and take her back to her room." Levi ordered him, seemingly oblivious to the blush that was slowly beginning to creep onto Eren's face.

"Y-Yes sir!" Eren responded in a daze, shifting his weight from one foot to another.

"Eren, should I come with you?" Armin asked him but one glance from Levi had him running back to his position.

Eren glanced down at Mikasa in his arms with awe. She seemed so vulnerable, so unprotected at the moment. Her face was a different kind of blank, her features smoothed out and free from the hold of a carefully composed mask of stoicism. It almost appeared as if she was sleeping with her head nestled against Eren's chest. Eren felt a thrill run through his spine at the prospect of him getting to protect and look after Mikasa for once instead of the other way round. That's all he had ever wanted to do since the moment he had met Mikasa; to act as her savior. However, each time, Mikasa had ended up being his protector and that really ticked him off. It _wasn't_ supposed to be that way. _He_ should be the one looking after her and not the other way round.

Eren hadn't realized it previously but Mikasa smelled really…nice. He couldn't find another way to describe it. It was a pleasant, slightly floral fragrance which reminded him of their old days and their ruined home back in Shiganshina.

"Oi Eren, quit gawking at her and take her back to her room already, you little shit!" Levi yelled from behind him, making him jump.

For a moment, he was really glad that Mikasa was unconscious because this way, she had no idea as to how red his cheeks were or how fast his heart was thrumming in his chest.


	9. Open Your Eyes

**9\. Open Your Eyes**

* * *

"What are you doing?!" Eren yelled at Jean, shoving him off the chair he was lounging on. "Captain Levi will be here any moment!"

"What is your fucking problem, Jaeger?" Jean growled, stumbling a bit as he tried to gain his balance, only to be unbalanced again as Sasha bumped into him from behind. "Oi, potato girl! Look where you're going!"

"Mpppfgh." She responded ineligibly, trying her best to swallow whatever she was chewing.

"Wha-? Actually, never mind." Jean sighed, grabbing a broom as Eren shot him another glare.

The whole squad was in a state of frenzy. Levi had stated very clearly a couple of hours ago before heading for a meeting with Erwin that he wanted the dining hall spotless otherwise all of them would be scrubbing toilets for the next two weeks.

"Mikasa, Armin get a move on guys!" Eren badgered his friends, trying to get the room as clean as humanly possible.

"Calm down, Eren. Don't work yourself up so much." Mikasa advised but Eren ignored her as usual as he pulled up the cloth around his neck to cover his mouth and nose, much like Levi did while cleaning and bent down to scrub the floor furiously.

Armin and Mikasa exchanged a worried look and Jean simply snorted.

"You have a problem," Jean drawled as he swept his broom lazily on the floor, brushing some dust in Connie's direction and earning himself a string of swear words from his fellow comrade. "You think you can be like _him_ if you copy his mannerisms?"

"What? I am simply following orders." Eren shot back angrily. "Unlike your stupid, lazy ass!"

"Oh yeah?" Jean shoved him broom aside angrily as he stepped up to Eren.

"Leave him alone." Mikasa intervened immediately.

"Mikasa, stay out of it. This is between me and Jean." Eren snapped, not taking his eyes off Jean as he abandoned his rag and stepped up to the sneering, brown haired boy.

"Guys, come on." Connie groaned. "I don't know about you two but I don't wanna be on my knees all week, elbow deep in some shitty toilet."

"Eren-" Mikasa began again but was cut off immediately.

"Can you not interfere for _once_?" Eren growled, his voice low and guttural as his eyes flashed dangerously, taking Mikasa aback.

"You know what your real problem is, Eren? Not your hero-worship complex or whatever the fuck it is." Jean pitched in smoothly, breaking the tension between Eren and Mikasa. "Your problem is your whole freaking attitude regarding each and every thing. About _Mikasa_." He pointed a finger in Mikasa's direction, making her dark eyes widen with surprise. A hush fell over the whole group as everyone stopped their activities and stood still to witness Jean's little speech.

"He is finally doing it," Sasha whispered to Connie, who nodded wordlessly. Armin simply pursed his lips, wanting to intervene but not finding the rights words to do so.

"What?" Eren asked him after a moment of silence.

"Just how blind can you be, Eren? No one has a right to be this oblivious, not even retards like you." Jean continued, his tone razor sharp and reprimanding. "Mikasa is the only person in this room -apart from Armin perhaps- who would do _anything_ for you. And you not only take her for granted but you push her away." He scoffed, as if the mere thought of it was ridiculous and laughable. " Can't you see how much your shitty attitude hurts her? Grow the fuck up and open your goddamn eyes, Jaeger."

"Jean," Mikasa stopped him by placing a hand on his arm, her face hidden by her hair. "I don't need you to defend me." She added tonelessly.

Eren stood there stunned, his eyes automatically flickering to where Mikasa's hand connected with Jean's arm. He was torn between wanting to punch Jean in the nose and questioning Mikasa. Was it true? Did he really hurt her? He had known Mikasa for a long time and spent a good amount of his time arguing with her, usually over her over-protective behavior and her nagging. Sure, they argued a lot but he didn't actually hurt her, did he? _I mean, she is Mikasa…she will get over it. Right?_

"I asked you brats to clean the dining hall, not turn it into your private shit show."

"Captain!" Eren immediately stood up straighter, as did everyone else as they saluted Levi, who was observing the scene from the doorway.

Levi walked into the room, looking thoroughly unamused as he glanced around with obvious displeasure. Bypassing a blubbering Sasha, he reached the dining table and swiped his fingers beneath the wooden surface once before bringing it to his face. He rubbed his fingers together, his steely grey eyes flickering to Eren's as everyone waited with bated breath.

"It's filthy." He stated gravelly, wiping his fingers against his pants.

"S-sir, I tried-"

"It was me, Captain." Mikasa stepped forward. "Eren was instructing everyone to clean and I caused a hindrance, delaying the process. If anyone is to be punished, it should be me."

"Mikasa-!" Eren looked aghast and Jean covered his face with his palm after shooting Eren a meaningful glare. Mikasa stood beside him with her arms crossed behind her back, her back ramrod straight and her legs slightly apart as she took the blame for him, her face not betraying even the slightest bit of emotion. Eren's eyes ultimately landed on her scarf –his scarf- which was wrapped around her neck securely and something inside him swelled. It swelled until he felt like he would burst from the feeling.

Eren took a shaky breath when he finally realized what it was.

Guilt.


	10. Truth or Dare

_Prompt by guest reviewer Scott Barcomb: A game of truth or dare. Hope you like it!_

 **10\. Truth or Dare**

* * *

 _Levi's original squad-_

Petra clutched a steaming mug of coffee in her hand as she stood by the open doorway of the Scout Regiments headquarter. A pleasant breeze ruffled her hair and she smiled to herself as she sipped her steaming drink. Moments like these made her feel almost normal, as if nothing was wrong with the world. As If all of them weren't trapped in a cage surrounded by blood thirsty Titans.

As if the dreams they sometimes dared to dream had a chance of coming true.

She glanced over her shoulder and her breath caught in her throat when she saw Levi staring at her. He was, as usual, lounging against the wall by himself, brooding over one thing or another while the rest of the squad played cards on the table.

"This is boring!" Auruo exclaimed, upsetting the current game and reluctantly drawing Petra's attention away from Levi's piercing gaze.

"Only because you're losing. Stop being such a sore loser!" Erd barked, bending down to collect the fallen cards from the floor.

"It really is getting rather dull, to be honest." Hanji quipped in, putting down her own cards with a sigh. "Oh, I have an idea on how to make this more interesting!"

"No." Levi grumbled almost before Hanji had stopped speaking.

"Oh come on, Levi!"

"We are not playing that shitty game again." Levi said, falling into place beside Hanji and leveling her with a cold glare, which had absolutely no effect on her.

"What's this?" Petra asked, taking a seat opposite Levi, feeling somewhat curious. Levi was usually not enthusiastic about many things but he seemed to be even more against Hanji's idea than he usually was, which made Petra all the more determined to find out exactly what it was.

"Don't encourage this mad woman, Ral." Levi sighed.

"Alright, listen up everyone!" Hanji clapped her hands, steadily ignoring Levi. "I have a new game for us!"

"It doesn't have anything to do with Titan experimentation, does it?" Gunter asked her warily.

"Well, no. Although, that might be interesting…" She trailed off, her eyes going glassy for a moment before Auruo cleared his throat loudly, snapping her attention back to the present.

"Right! So in this game, each person gets a turn to choose out of two options- either truth or dare. If you chooses 'truth', then you must answer any question that is posed to you as truthfully as you can and if you choose 'dare', you will have to perform whatever task is asked of you! Simple, right?" Hanji looked around expectantly, already bursting with excitement.

Petra nodded slowly. The rules seemed straightforward enough.

"Wait," Auruo interjected. "If I am to choose 'dare' on my turn, I will have to perform whatever task is asked of me?"

"Yes, I believe that's what I just said." Hanji nodded.

"Isn't that what I already do under Captain Levi's command?"

There was a long, stretching silence and Petra couldn't literally hear the crickets chirping away in the background.

"Why Auruo, do you resent working under my command?" Levi asked him lightly, bringing his coffee cup to his lips as he kept his steely grey eyes trained on him.

"N-No Captain, I only meant-argh!" Auruo ended up biting his own tongue, effectively shutting himself up and inducing a round of snickers around the table. Petra took pity on him and surreptitiously offered him her handkerchief under the table, earning a grateful nod from him.

"So, let's get started!" Hanji burst out, almost quivering in her chair. "Levi, pose me the question."

"When do you plan on climbing into your grave, you old hag?"

"That's not the right question I believe."

He let out a slow, infuriated sigh. "Alright. Truth or dare, Hanji?"

"Dare."

"I dare you to end this shitty game at once."

"Levi!"

"I dare you to stop speaking for a whole month and leave me in peace."

"You're really not caught up on the rules, are you…?"

"I dare you to go fuck yours-"

"Alright, let's move on." Hanji interrupted Levi loudly, forgoing her own turn. Petra widened her eyes at Levi across the table. ' _You don't have to be so rude.'_

Levi arched an eyebrow back at her, ' _What will be left of me if I am not rude?'_

So the game went on. After getting some embarrassing confessions out of Auruo about his purposeful mocking of Captain Levi and making Gunter balance a spoon on his nose for the better half of three minutes, it was time for Petra's turn.

"Truth or dare, lovely?" Hanji asked her, adjusting the strap of her glasses and snapping it in place like she was about to start performing some intensive experiments on Petra.

"Truth." Petra answered immediately, not feeling up to performing one of Hanji's absurd dares.

"Hmmm," Hanji leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table as she appraised Petra for a full minute. "Have you ever been in love?" She finally asked.

The question took Petra aback. Whatever it was that she had been expecting, it was not that. She tried very hard not to let her gaze stray to Levi's but in the end, she failed. Her amber eyes met his sharp grey ones for a brief moment. He was slumped back in his chair, looking as if he was barely paying attention to the game and was lost in his own thoughts but Petra knew he was listening in on to each and every word. The very thought made her mouth go dry with apprehension and her muscles went rigid as she debated the answer. Sure, she had whispered of her love to Levi a few times in the concealing darkness of Levi's bedroom but to admit it out loud in front of everybody? Of course, she wouldn't be taking his name but…

"Petra?" Erd prodded her, snapping her out of her reverie. She looked up and saw that each and every eye was trained upon her. All except Levi, who seemed too busy in his cup of coffee but was waiting for a response all the same.

"Yes." Petra finally replied, enunciating the word loudly and clearly. "Yes, I have."

It earned her a round of wolf-whistles from the boys, which made her roll her eyes even as her cheekd grew slightly warm. She didn't dare to meet Levi's gaze and instead chose to study her own hands while the ruckus died down.

"You wouldn't care to tell us who, though, will you?" Gunter pried.

"Wait for your turn, don't be an impatient brat." Levi murmured, not lifting his eyes from some documents stacked neatly on the table. He had abandoned the cup of coffee and was now riffling through some files Erwin had entrusted upon him, apparently looking for something. He was _always_ working.

"It's your turn, Levi. _Don't_ be a spoil sport." Hanji urged him, putting on her best puppy dog face which went thoroughly ignored but Levi glanced up anyway.

"Fine." He finally waved a hand as if acquiescing. "Ask away, Ral."

"Me? Oh, right. Yes. Truth or Dare, Captain?"

"Hmmm," He hummed, the sound rumbling from deep in his chest, making Petra squirm in her chair. "Truth, I suppose."

Petra hadn't thought of a question beforehand and blurted out the first thing that came into her mind. "Same question as Hanji, then. Have _you_ ever been in love?"

"Captain Levi? In _love_?" Erd looked bemused but shut up quickly as Levi's eyes flickered to him.

"No," Levi's reply was almost instantaneous and clipped, as if the question was not worthy of his consideration and went back to riffling through his documents, not sparing any of them another glance. "Steer clear of such wasteful questions in the future, Ral." He added. Petra nodded stiffly, murmuring a 'Yes Captain' in response before she quickly finished her cup of coffee and excused herself from the game.

"But we only just got started!" Hanji protested, pulling her lips into a pout.

Not wanting to stick around a minute longer, she gave a hasty excuse."Play on without me, I need to write back to my Father before I turn in for the night."

Before anyone could argue with that, she flashed them all a stiff smile and left the room, all the while scolding herself for being so obvious. They wouldn't catch onto her disappointment, would they? What if someone linked her reaction to Levi's statement?

But most of all, she felt like a fool. She felt like a complete and utter idiot for even asking Levi that question. Obviously he would say 'no' in front of everyone.

"Petra," A familiar voice floated from behind her, making her stop dead in her tracks.

"Captain?" She answered back stiffly, not bothering to turn around to face him. She didn't want him to see her face before she had a chance to compose her features into a placid mask.

"Are you angry with me?" Levi asked, stepping closer to her. Her breath hitched slightly as she felt his body press up against her from behind. His strong, slender fingers closed around her wrist, turning her around so that she was facing him.

"No, why would I be?" She managed.

"You're a terrible liar, so don't even bother."

"I am not angry, no."

"Disappointed?"

"I get it, Captain, I really do. You couldn't have said it in front of everyone without rousing suspicion. It was stupid of me to even ask in the first place." Petra shrugged, not quite meeting his eyes.

"Levi."

"What?"

"Call me Levi when we are alone."

"Well, Levi. Okay."

"I don't want to share you with anyone else." He said all of a sudden. "Not them, not the world. Not anyone."

That made her look up. Before she could even form a coherent thought, he leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers firmly, as if asserting a point and all Petra could do was close her eyes and submit herself to him, as she had done very long ago.

* * *

 **Next chapter: A game of Truth or Dare between Eren and co.! R &R :)**


	11. One, Two, Three, Four

_I know I said this chapter would be a game of Truth or Dare between Eren and co. but my Rivetra feels took over. Ah well. Enjoy!_

 **11\. One, Two, Three, Four**

* * *

"Erwin," Levi barked, "I don't _dance_."

"Levi, we don't have a choice." Erwin tried to reason with him as he strode ahead of him, leaving Levi to catch up with the Commander's long strides, much to his annoyance. Not that he would ever complain about his short stature out loud.

"Why don't you bloody well dance in my place then if you are so keen on it?" Levi snapped, managing to outmaneuver Erwin and blocking his path by placing a hand against the doorway he was headed for. "Waltz away in your favorite frock for all I care."

"I have a meeting to attend with the higher ups right after the wedding, you know that." Erwin sighed. "We need more funding as soon as possible if we are to carry out the next expedition as scheduled."

Levi restrained himself from throwing some punches out of pure frustration. In two day's time, representative members of the three regiments were to attend the marriage of some noble lady. Levi didn't care enough to recall her name or her exact position but was aware that she held quite a high stand in the hierarchy. Much to his very _verbal_ displeasure, Erwin had cornered him and asked him to dance with the insufferable, snobbish woman. As was the tradition in such gatherings, a representative of a high standing from each regiment had to lead the dance with the lady in question to represent their segment. A very pointless and taxing tradition, in Levi's opinion.

"Why not Gunter or Auruo? Those morons find dancing enjoyable enough to get through the ordeal." Levi countered as a final attempt to wriggle out of the situation. "Hell, even Hanji can pass off as a man. She'd love that, like the little freak she is."

"You know that's not how it works." Erwin told him placidly. "I am sorry Levi, I'd put someone else's name forward but the expected candidate after me is you if we go by the ranks." And with that, Erwin departed after patting Levi once on his shoulder.

Levi hesitated between going after Erwin with his blades drawn out and paying the soon to be groom a visit and threatening him into not marrying the snob. In the end, he decided to forget the whole matter for the time being and locked himself in his study, burying his nose into some papers to get his mind off the vexing matter. Pretty soon, he was immersed in his work and lost track of time. When he looked up, it was already past dusk.

"Oh Levi!" A sing song voice floated in from the doorway and instantly, Levi mentally berated himself for not bolting the damn door in the first place.

"Hanji." He sighed, reclining back in his chair. "What?"

As if on cue, Hanji poked her head in, her messy hair falling all over her face before she pranced inside, holding a lamp in one hand. _At least she is carrying extra lighting,_ Levi thought as his room was instantly brightened.

"Oh don't play coy with me; we both know what this is about." She wagged a finger at him, shooting him a knowing grin.

"Yes Hanji, we do. What we both know is that I am going to kick your hairy ass out of this room in five seconds if you don't start making sense."

"You are representing the Scouts Regiment this time instead of Erwin."

"And?"

"Levi," Hanji giggled. "You can't dance."

"What do you mean I _can't_ dance? Just because I don't want to engage in bothersome traditions-"

"Fine," Hanji cut him off. "Fine, then. Prove it."

Levi answered her by shoving her out of the room and slamming the door shut behind her.

Later, when the whole castle was asleep and Levi was just beginning to wind up his work, there was a knock on the door. _I swear, if it's Hanji again…_

To his relief –and surprise– it was Petra.

"Ral-" He caught himself, "Petra, what are you doing up so late?"

"I can ask you the same question." She pointed out. Her face was illuminated by the candle she was holding in one hand and a steaming cup of tea in the other, which she proffered to him without another word. He took the hot beverage from her with a small nod, ruffling her hair lightly. "Go back to sleep."

Instead, she stepped inside and shut the door behind her, not nonplussing him in the least. She was getting more and more disobedient by the day. "Come here," she said once he finished his drink.

Taking Levi's hand into his own, she pulled him into the center of the room with her. He quirked one eyebrow at her questioningly but she simply gave him a smile as she guided one of his hands to her waist and held the other in her own.

"One," She took a step forward, urging Levi to move with her. "Two, three, four."

"Petra-?"

" _One_ ," she insisted, leading them into some sort of waltz, "Two, three, four."

Levi gave up after a while and simply let her coax him into a dance. He stumbled a bit initially, mumbling a string of barely eligible apologies and curses as he knocked a vase to the floor and stepped on Petra's toes a few times but she remained patient and encouraging. Soon, they had been dancing for nearly an hour and Levi wasn't making a fool out of himself anymore, which was a good sign.

"Hanji?" Levi asked her dryly when they took a break.

"Well," Petra bit back a smile. "Word does travel around here."

Petra was so different from the lot of them. She wasn't here to ridicule him or laugh at his subpar dancing abilities. She didn't even question him as to why he was not proficient at it or something. She simply smiled. Smiled and helped him, like no one else would have without making him feel like an idiot.

Without warning, Levi leaned forward and pressed his lips to her cheek, very close to the corner of her mouth. The rosy blush that bloomed under her skin was worth the whole ordeal.


	12. Little Glances

**12\. Little Glances**

* * *

Sometimes, Eren gets an overwhelming urge to trace his fingers over the scar just beneath Mikasa's eye. Its small and relatively faded by now. And a ringing reminder of the time when he had no control over his Titan shifting abilities.

One thing which Eren absolutely detests is losing control.

He is not a prodigally gifted soldier like Mikasa or strategically wise like Armin. He cannot equate to a hundred good men or form a strategy on the spot to get out of a difficult situation. All he has is _control_. Control over himself and his rage, which has been simmering underneath the surface for so many years. He can _choose_ how to channel his rage and uses it to eradicate Titans as best as he could.

What is left of him if he loses control of his senses and ends up harming those he is meant to protect?

Sometimes, Eren's eyes shift from Mikasa's scar to her dark, soulful eyes. Sure, he has seen dark eyes before but Mikasa's are pitch black, framed by even darker eyelashes and hair. Sometimes, he finds himself marveling over the tiny bites she takes of her food or the stoic manner in which she speaks with the muscles of her face barely twitching. He notices the emotions that flicker on her face when she speaks to him but only momentarily so before she hides them beneath the apathetic mask she wears most of the time. He notices how long and thin her fingers are, like craftsmen's.

He also can't help but wonder why on earth he gets so riled up whenever he catches Jean looking at or talking to Mikasa.


	13. It's a match!

_This one emerged out of my inner yaoi fangirl's mind. Those of you who don't ship Eren and Levi may feel free to skip it/treat it as a crack fic._

 _Modern day AU involving Tinder. Enjoy!_

 **13\. It's a match!**

* * *

Eren thought it was stupid. He had never really felt the need to try online dating before. He was in the last semester of college and his as of late, his daily schedule comprised of procrastinating to all the morning classes, surviving on strong black coffee and his idea of a balanced diet was ramen with an occasional pack of cheetos to accompany it. He had long given up on maintaining a healthy sleep cycle and often found himself surfing the web for useless things like "top ten conspiracy theories of all time" at three in the morning.

The dark circles underneath his eyes were getting deeper and the pile of papers of his desk was getting higher. Mikasa was worried sick about him and gave him a lecture on the importance of health every chance she got, ultimately prompting Eren to change the locks of his dorm room. Not that it would stop her if she wished to kick his door down but still…

Another thing Mikasa was –unnecessarily– worried about was the slight slump in Eren's social life. According to her, he was becoming a social recluse and preferred staying indoors more and more these days. Well, there _was_ some truth to it since the last time he dated anyone was all the way back in freshman year. As of late, he had been avoiding going out with Armin and the rest of his dorm mates as well, for some reason. But that was normal, right? He just wanted some space to himself for once in his life. Not a big deal like Mikasa and Armin were making it out to be.

Nevertheless, that hadn't stopped Jean of all people from downloading this stupid dating app on his mobile phone the previous day. At first, Eren had taken it as a joke since it was Jean's doing and had happily ignored its existence on his phone throughout the day.

But as night drew closer and he ran out of ways to waste his time, his gaze drifted to the small reddish-orange icon which was shaped like a blaze going up.

 _This is stupid,_ Eren thought as his finger hovered uncertainly over the icon. _Well, no harm in trying it out, is there?_ He decided at last, finally tapping the icon with his thumb.

And so it began. Swipe after swipe after swipe. He had a few matches but after chatting with them, he lost interest quickly. What was all the hype about anyway? Half the people he right swiped didn't swipe him back and those who did were not his type at all. For such a popular dating site, it wasn't helping him at all.

He drew his attention back to the screen as he got a new notification.

 _ **Jalen is typing…**_

 _ **Jalen: Hey**_

 _ **Eren: Hi, what's up?**_

 _ **Jalen: Nm, bored. U?**_

 _ **Eren: Same.**_

There was a slight pause in the conversation and Eren sighed. This was beginning to get old real quick.

 _ **Jalen is typing…**_

 _ **Jalen: U into anal beads?**_

 _ **Eren: …no**_

 _ **Jalen: Aww, 2 bad. I was looking 2 have sum fun with u tonite, pretty ;)**_

Immediately, Eren closed the chat box and slammed a palm over his face. That's it. He was deleting this stupid app first thing tomorrow morning. _Screw you Jean_ , he cursed inwardly as he glanced at the clock. It was close to four in the morning and he had a lecture less than four and a half hours later. It was getting late, even for him.

Tossing his phone on the bedside table, he rolled over in his bed and pulled a pillow over his head-

 _ **Ping**_

Damn, he had forgotten to turn the notifications off.

 _ **Tinder**_

 _ **Congratulations! You have a new match!**_

Eren blinked at his phone sleepily. He had expected it to be another message from that grammar-less creep. After a few moments, curiosity won over his acute need for sleep and he tapped the notification.

 _ **It's a match!**_

 _ **You and Levi have liked each other.**_

For some reason, Eren's heart leaped in his chest as he identified the man in the picture. How the hell had _he_ liked _him_ back? This was the sort of dream guy who was way out of his league.

"Levi," Eren muttered under his breath, tasting the name on his tongue as he scrolled through the man's linked Instagram account. He didn't have many photos but the few he had put on display were stunningly beautiful in a way. The strange thing was, Levi wasn't smiling in any of them. In fact, he hardly had any expression on his face at all but his intense gaze made up for his stoic aura.

Eren's turquoise eyes flickered over the finer aspects of Levi- like the way his hair fell over his forehead and the slight gleam in his steel grey eyes. The way his long and slender fingers curled over the armrest of a chair. The way his absurdly long lashes framed his fervent eyes. His chalky pale complexion. The barely perceptible curl of his mouth. His long, straight nose.

His short stature.

No way was this guy- a thirty something businessman- genuinely interested in him, a college going student.

 _ **Levi is typing…**_

"Oh shit," Eren mumbled, nearly dropping the phone on his face due to his excitement.

 _ **Levi: Are you going to say something or are you more inclined towards gawking at my profile for the rest of the night?**_

"Huh?!" Eren sat up in his bed. _How the hell did he know?_ His phone buzzed in his hands once again and he glanced down at the screen quickly.

 _ **Levi: Shithead.**_

Eren blinked. "What the…"

 _ **Eren: Excuse me?**_

 _ **Levi: Oh he can use punctuation properly after all.**_

 _ **Eren: I don't understand.**_

 _ **Levi: I don't expect you to, kiddo.**_

 _ **Eren: Hey! Watch who you call a kid!**_

 _ **Levi: Compared to me, you are a kid.**_

 _ **Eren: Not my fault you were born a grandpa!**_

A short, virtual silence followed Eren's words. The guy was a good decade older than him, after all so his comeback did hold some weight.

 _ **Eren: I am Eren, by the way. Eren Jaeger.**_

 _ **Levi: No shit.**_

Eren cringed slightly, hastily typing again to cover his moment of stupidity.

 _ **Eren: I am just trying to be nice here, you know. Introducing myself and all like a normal person would.**_

 _ **Levi: I can simply read your profile for that.**_

 _ **Levi: By the way, your profile picture sucks. If I were you, I'd change it ASAP.**_

 _ **Eren: Well, you suck!**_

 _ **Levi: And he says he is not a kid. Real mature, Jaeger.**_

Eren had never met someone like Levi before online. This guy was as blunt as they came and apparently had no regard for social etiquette and manners.

 _ **Eren: If you plan to insult me all night long, then I'm afraid you're on the wrong app.**_

 _ **Eren: Troll.**_

 _ **Levi: I am bored. You seemed interesting enough.**_

 _ **Levi: What would you rather I do?**_

Eren's heart did that funny leap again a Levi's words. Did he realise just how suggestive that sounded?

 _ **Eren: How the heck would I know?!**_

 _ **Levi: What are you doing up so late, anyway?**_

 _ **Eren: Dunno. My sleep schedule is fucked.**_

 _ **Levi: Trying to break the world record for jerking off?**_

 _ **Eren: What the fuck, Levi.**_

 _ **Levi: You didn't deny it.**_

 _ **Eren: No. NO. I am not jerking off, jeez!**_

 _ **Levi: What else could a banal mind like yours be interested in at an hour like this?**_

 _ **Eren: The same question applies to you too, asshole.**_

 _ **Levi: Insomnia.**_

 _ **Eren: Oh…**_

 _ **Levi: Don't sound like I announced I have cancer or some shit.**_

 _ **Eren: Still. I mean, did you see a doctor...?**_

 _ **Levi: Who are you, my mother?**_

 _ **Eren: Wow like, so much for being concerned. Sorry I even asked.**_

 _ **Levi: You don't even know me. Cut the typical teen melodrama.**_

 _ **Eren: Anything else?**_

 _ **Levi: Yeah. Lame. Shitty. Mediocre. Predictable.**_

Unable to think of a witty comeback at half past four in the morning, he resorted to-

 _ **Eren: Fuck you.**_

 _ **Levi: Rather forward, aren't we?**_

Eren let out a little squeak and instantly clamped his hand over his mouth. _What is the deal with this guy? Does he like me? Is he simply trolling me? What?_

 _ **Eren: What?! No! Quit being a pervert!**_

After a moment, he added.

 _ **Eren: You really needed to blow off some steam, didn't you?**_

There was a short, pregnant pause, which left Eren impatient for a response as he bored holes into his phone screen with his focused gaze.

 _ **Levi is typing…**_

 _ **Levi: Maybe.**_

Levi responded in one word, choosing to be actually honest this time rather than opting for a sarcastic undertone. However, before Eren could even think of a response, he was typing again.

 _ **Levi: Hey, Eren?**_

Eren's fingers slipped over the keyboard in his hastiness to reply back to this infuriating yet captivating man.

 _ **Eren: Yeah?**_

 _ **Levi: What's your number?**_


End file.
